Apple's iPhone 16e arrives with flagship features at lower cost

Applehas unveiled the iPhone 16e—a new addition to the 16 series that brings innovations, including its own brand of artificial intelligence, at a more accessible price.

The tech giant has positioned the phone under the latest iPhone 16 family, instead of labelling it as an iPhone SE series successor.

The iPhone 16e, featuring a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology, is powered by Apple’s latest A18 chip. According to the company, its 6-core CPU is up to 80% faster than the A13 Bionic in iPhone 11. It also includes a 4-core GPU for graphics and gaming, along with a 16-core Neural Engine optimised for large generative models and machine learning tasks.

The device comes in matte black and white finishes with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options; prices start at Rs 59,900.

The new smartphone is the first Apple device to feature the C1 modem—the iPhone maker’s first in-house design for 5G connectivity. Previously, Apple relied on Qualcomm modems.

The iPhone 16e features a new 2-in-1 camera system with a 48MP fusion camera that uses computational photography to capture high-resolution images. It includes an integrated 2x telephoto zoom, providing optical-quality close-ups without a second lens. The front-facing TrueDepth camera supports autofocus, improving sharpness for close-ups and group selfies.

It supports both wireless charging and USB-C, allowing for flexible charging and compatibility with various accessories.

The device includes an Action button, like its newer siblings, for quick access to customisable functions such as the camera, flashlight, ring/silent mode, Shazam, voice memos, translate, and shortcuts. It also supports in-app actions and enables visual intelligence.

Apple Intelligence

Apple has been emphasising Apple Intelligence—the company’s very own brand of artificial intelligence—since its unveiling last year. While not all showcased AI-powered features have been released, they are being gradually rolled out. The iPhone 16e will include these Apple Intelligence capabilities.

Apple set a revenue record in India for the December quarter, despite a slight decline in global iPhone sales. The launch of the iPhone 16e at a lower price than the rest of the 16 series phones could attract buyers in a price-sensitive market like India.

During the Q1 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook noted that he is “particularly keen on India.”

He had said, “We did see that the markets where we had rolled out Apple Intelligence, that the year-over-year performance on the iPhone 16 family was stronger than those where Apple Intelligence was not available.”

Pre-orders for iPhone 16e open on Friday, February 21, with availability from February 28.